Supporting pipe clamp



10. 1953 c. B. WRIGHT SUPPORTING PIPE CLAMP Filed Dec. 9, 1950 Patented Nov. 10, .1953

STATES PATENT OFFICE :SUHQR'HNG E-QL AM a o wrig ai en n pue u neq mter 9, 1950,1Serial:No.200,011 4 Qlainis. (01. 2518-56) "flfhis inventionrelate t im rov en n p ne amps; nd m e par ic l r t amp r p o tin .n ne a loeati n wh eth pi es x.- end th ou a lo r o wa l-0 a bui d n i or .without provisionior accommodating .e gpano andeon ac ion qf hj pinesdne to cha e in ambient temperature or to changes in the temperature of .aflmedium circulating within the pipes.

A urr n trend toward s o all streamlined coppe tubin he ei e lat ry n u ts w thin bu l ine rhe int u a p ob lem to s ti f cto i naintein the s e min effect at the SlLPQQI tS fQI the larger diameter conduits where the Miss through the building floors and wa w thou crush ng. .Q dist i the l tiv y easily ld fe mahl tu es.

Heretofore, the customary procedure for sup-- p rt n c pper tuhinsp thell Q iZes -Wh h and walls ,of buildings h similar half-clampsjbol relation to a pipe w which the boltss extend, constituting awkward comprise two sleeve sections of which the section in which the pipe-clamping members are seated and lockedrests loosely on the other sleeve section whereby the sleeve sections may have relative axial movementsin response to expansionand contraction of the pipe.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sup t pip -cla all p ri qn o wh may be effectively and neatly covered and hidden by the usual asbestos tomary thickness. invention relatively pipe covering of cus- The pipe clamps of the closely surround the pipe which i be n pp te ith o disfi r n lateral projections which cannot be effectively concealed within the customary asbestos pipe covering of conventional thickness. t

A furtherobiect of the invention-is to provide a supporting pipe clamp yvhose members and m nt enact .inaeqmpe t s em l wh e sm disfiguringelements. Although many suchlpipes have asbestos coverings-thereon, it has not be en feasibletoi cover =and hide the -clamp projections. Also, these. prior; clamps have interfered with-thelaying of floor ,coverlngsmin -.neat surroundin relation to the :pines rand-clamps.

t is ,amonsth -o tshefjm p tion to provide a ,suppgttin :nipe clamp .which effectively clamps and supports apipe-at afloor or wall region of a building. without objectionable er lpr ieetionand -wzith u e ie en e with driventhe layine of fll lor.s ve n :mneat v u z unminte relat on ort e clamp and r e .AQ Ordin to the in ent on m i o exte r vz aperin p p -c ampin :mem

to. be su ported wit manually operable locking e sem nt ciable projection outof said hole within which projection the clampingmembers maybe seated andrlockedlinitheir clamping relationto a pipe lu llll tthe said; clamping ent i'LCIIlQE'JSlBQVE element may'have a circular-basesflanzeithereon for resting against .coact with a circuiarifl t t H p mping, engagement) between the pipefilampmfivmqmhers rand-the pipe V engagement extendingithrough saidholeand clamp. where substantial pnane eent aetiqnq the pin is anticipated,-thecircular sleeve element may 'be neatly and smoothly encircled by a floor co'veringfwithout disfiguring mutilation of the floor. covering.

.It is, moreover, my purpose and object generally to improve supporting pipe clamps and smore particularly such clamps which are adapted to support pipes and conduits which have relave yv e il c l ps bl Wa ls w i h must be p etected against deformation by the clamping presre. and aga c afin wh ch ma r su t e "any looseness.

ting features of theinvention;

Fig, 3.is a perspective view ofthe two exteriorly tapering pipeclamping members of the clamps shown in Figs. 1 and 2; and

. 4 shows n th med fi mm o surper s p e clamp edvin a u of t e nve tien, t e clamp bein "i smqne t ns ampms wi he pi b hiehet end through a sleeve .e1 ement of the clamp ,Which is fixed in a. concrete floor of abuilding.

Referring to the drawing, the floor boardsota floor of. a buildin qelre indicated atv H], one board having a l ole i;2 therethrough forloose passage of spine lfipth llgh,the fioor. .The. pipeld may .be one of the circulatory. conduits; of a building Water, heating or air-conditioning system, or any 2,658,706 fj V other pipe requiring support at a region where it passes through a floor or wall of a building.

However, the invention is particularly applicable for supporting such conduits made of so-called stream-lined copper tubing whose relatively thin walls offer relatively small resistance to deformation, as compared with cast iron or brass pipes, for example. Such copper tubing conduits may have substantially less exterior diameters as compared with iron and brass pipes of the same or smaller interior diameters, and they enter more satisfactorily into present-day stream-lining effects as compared with the more bulky and much heavier conventional varieties of piping. However, because of the easily deformable character of the copper tubing conduits, various. well known types of pipe clamps have proven unsuitshown in Fig. 2 wherein a separate relatively short cylindrical sleeve section 20a rests loosely on the previously'described sleeve 2ll,and the clamping members It, I8 are secured within sleeve section 20a by set screws 22 which, in this case, extend through the walls of sleeve section Ma. y In other respects, the clamp of Fig. 2 may be the same as that of Fig. 1. However, when expansion of tube l4 occurs in the Fig. 2 embodiment, only the sleeve section 20a moves with the tube and clamping members l6, I8, the flanged sleeve 26 remaining in engagement with the floor. In the embodiment of Fig. 4, a cylindrical sleeve 2| isset within an opening in a floor I0,

-usually will be placed prior to pouring of the conof concrete or the like; Actually, thecsleeve 2| crete, and the concrete will be poured and set able for use in supporting the' copper tubing conduits, with the result that such conduits quite universally have been supported by the ordinary split pipe-clamps'whose two halves are bolted 14 may be a copper tube which may be protectively clamped and supported within a pair of clamping members 16, 18, with the clamping pressure distributed over an axially relatively wide surface area; which extends substantially all around the circumference of the tube. Each of the clamping members [6, 18 has exterior taper in axial direction, and the smaller ends of the members extend into a cylindrical sleeve element 20 which acts to force the members against tube id as the members are pressed into the sleeve element. Oppositely disposed set screws 22 in sleeve element'2il maybe adjusted into securing or locking engagement with the respective clamping members I6, l8 to maintain the clamping members and the sleeve against relative movement. i r V v In the} Fig. l embodiment of the invention, the sleeve element 23 has'an annular base flange 23 thereon for resting on the upper surface of the floor [0, and the flange may have thickness approximating the thickness of a linoleum or other floor covering 26 which may be neatly 'and smoothly fitted around the flange.

When necessary or desired,'the opening 12 may be sealed around the tube l4 by a suitable litharge r compound of dried lead and glycerine' (not shown) Ordinarily, it Will be desirable to cover the tube and clamp, and it is afeature of the invention that the clamp has no projecting parts which cannot conveniently be accommodated within conventional pipe covering sections, one such .fabric faced section ofasbestos 23 being represented in Fig. 1, neatly and smoothly covering the tube and clamp. The clamping members and the sleeve element move'with the tube when the latter expands-and contracts, in the Fig.1 embodiment.

When substantial expansion the tube I4 is an'important consideration in the supporting of the tube, it generally will be found desirable to employ the modified form of clamp and contraction of "around the sleeve, so thatsleeve 2| becomes secured in the floor by the concrete, and projects appreciably above the floor, as at 2i. In this case, the clamping memberslfi, 18 extend within the projecting portion 2! of the sleeve and are secured by set screws 22 which, extendthrough the walls of the projecting sleeve portion 2 I Inasmuch as the sleeve 2], 2|, is secured within the floor hole, and the clamping members [6, l8

and tube M are secured to the sleeve,'no 'pro-.

vision is made in the Fig. lembodimentior any. appreciable expansion or contraction of tube. [4. Hence, the Fig; 4. embodiment. is recommended only in cases where thetube M will be subjected to no substantial temperature changes. However, it .will be obviousthat theFigA embodiment may be'provided with. the expansion and contraction feature of Fig. 2 merely by providing a separate sleeve section Zea forrresting loosely on the projecting sleeve portion Zlin Fig.4, and securing the clamping members l6, l8 within sleeve section Zila, as in Fig. 2;

It will be apparent from the'foregoing descript1on, in connection with the drawing, that I have provided a simple .yet effective supporting pipe clamp which can securely clamp a pipe, and particularly a relatively deformable pipe or conduit of copper tubing, without the clamping pressure deforming the tube and without projecting clamp parts which cannot be effectively and smoothly covered in accordance with conventional pipes covering proceduresy Also, the clamp is con'clu-' owe to the attainment of neat and smooth encircling by conventional fioor coverings.

It is intended that the'p'atent shall coverfby 7 suitable expression in the appended claims, whatever features of patentable-noveltyexist in the' invention disclosed.

' 4 a I claim as my invention:

1. A pipe-supporting clampicom risin 7 Q Q l ndrical sleeve adapted to 1005s; surriu nzf a pipe ,which is to be supported, a pairof clamp- 1ng r nembers adapted to engagearound substan V tialiy the total circumference of the, pipe and I to' have surface engagement with .the pipe throughout a relatively widesurface area in axial. direction along the pipe, whereby pressure of 7 said clamping members is'xdistributed over said relatively 'wide surface'area substantially all around the circumference of the pipe, said clamping'members having exterior taper in said axial direction and having-theirv smaller'end portions enclosed within ,said sleeve and pressed within 7 the sleeve into engagement with the walls of the sleeve whereby said clamping members become forced by the sleeve into clamping surface engagement. with said pipe,;an d meansjon said Y for securing se 9 n nsmbers and 1 sleeve against relative movement when said clamping members are in clamping engagement with the pipe, said sleeve being adapted to engage at one of its ends against a relatively fixed abutment, and said smaller ends of the clamping members being insertible through the opposite end of the sleeve, and said securing means being adjacent to that end of the sleeve through which said smaller ends of the clamping members are insertible, whereby said clamping members and said securing means are at the same side of said relatively fixed abutment.

2. A pipe-supporting clamp comprising a cylindrical sleeve for loosely surrounding the pipe and adapted to rest loosely against a relatively fixed abutment, opposed clamping members adapted to engage around substantially the total circumference of the pipe and to have surface engagement with the pipe throughout a relatively wide surface area in axial direction along the pipe, whereby pressure of said clamping members is distributed over said relatively wide surface area substantially all around the circumference of the pipe, said clamping members having exterior taper in said axial direction and having their smaller end portions enclosed within said sleeve and pressed within the sleeve into engagement with the sleeve walls whereby said clamping members become forced by the sleeve into clamping surface engagement with said pipe, and oppositely disposed set screws on said sleeve, each adapted to engage a different one of said clamping members, whereby said clamping members and sleeve may be secured by said set screws against relatitve movement when said clamping members are in clamping engagement with the pipe, said smaller end portions of the clamping members being insertible through the outer end of said cylindrical sleeve which is opposite its end which rests against said relatively fixed abutment, and said set screws being adjacent to said outer end of the sleeve, whereby said clamping members and said set screws are at the same side of said relatively fixed abutment.

3. A pipe-supporting clamp comprising two cylindrical sleeve elements adapted to be arranged in loosely engaging end to end relation in loose- 1y surrounding relation to a pipe which is to be supported, opposed clamping members adapted for engaging substantially all around the circumference of said pipe throughout a substantial distance axially of the pipe, said clamping members having exterior taper in axial direction and being wedged within one of said sleeve elements, the other of said sleeve elements being adapted to engage endwise against a relatively fixed abutment, and means securing said clamping members to that sleeve element within which it is wedged, whereby said sleeve elements and clamping members may be associated together on the pipe and the pipe clamped and secured at the same side of said relatively fixed abutment, and one of said sleeve elements and said clamping members wedged and secured therein can move in unison with said pipe relative to the other sleeve element when said pipe expands in axial direction.

4. A pipe clamp comprising two cylindrical sleeve elements adapted to be arranged in loosely engaging end to end relation in loosely surrounding relation to a pipe which is to be clamped, one of said sleeve elements being adapted to be supported in a fixed position and the other being movable relative to the fixed sleeve element, a pair of oppositely disposed clamping members engaging substantially all around the circumference of said pipe throughout a substantial distance axially of the pipe, said clamping members having exterior taper and their smaller ends being forced into enclosed and engaged relation within said movable sleeve element, whereby the movable sleeve element forces said clamping members into clamping engagement with said pipe, and means securing the clamping members and said movable sleeve element against relative movement whereby said clamping members, movable sleeve element and said pipe can move in unison relative to said fixed sleeve element when said pipe expand in axial direction, said clamping members, securing means and movable sleeve being entirely at one side of said fixed sleeve.

CLAYTON B. WRIGHT.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 312,193 Duffy Feb. 10, 1885 1,835,155 Harbert Dec. 8, 1931 

